Convents and monasteries in Granada that you must visit

The city of Granada has numerous religious sites that stand out for their history, beauty and importance. For this reason, we are going to explain which are the convents and monasteries in Granada that you should visit.

Would you like to know which are the most outstanding religious monuments in Granada? Stay and read our article, we'll show you everything you need to know below!

Monastery of the Cartuja of Granada

The Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, better known as the Monasterio de la Cartuja de Granada, dates back to the 16th century.

Initially, it was decided to build it in the Fuente de las Lágrimas, near the municipality of Alfacar in Granada. Furthermore, Don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdova, the Gran Capitán, was going to cede some land he owned in order to begin construction.

However, the monks from El Paular changed the location due to the difficult terrain of the area. As a result, the Gran Capitán withdrew completely from the project.

The work on the Monastery of La Cartuja de Granada took more than three centuries to complete, resulting in a combination of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. It is also worth mentioning that it was inhabited by the Carthusian monks until 1842.

Inside this monument, we can find several rooms, including the Sacristy, which has been considered one of the masterpieces of Spanish Baroque. Mention should also be made of the church and its tabernacle.

The Cartuja Monastery has great artistic gems such as the paintings of Juan Sánchez Cotán, Bocanegra and Carducho. It has also been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and a Historic-Artistic Monument.

Sacromonte Abbey

The Abadía del Sacromonte is located in one of the most emblematic quarters of Granada and is situated right on the Valparaíso mountain.

It was built after the remains of Saint Cecilio, martyr and paron of the city, were found on its site. In addition, lead plaques written in Arabic and known as the Plombic Books, which tell the story of the beginning of evangelisation in southern Spain, were also found.

These discoveries caused hundreds of people to make pilgrimages to the site, which led to the decision to create an Abbey.

This beautiful 17th century monument is actually a complex consisting of the Santas Cuevas, the Abbey, the college and the museum.

The Santas Cuevas correspond to an underground area where several chapels and the remains of San Cecilio were discovered.

The Abbey church has a Latin cross floor plan with three naves, transept and choir. Its altar is also home to the Cristo del Consuelo or Cristo de los Gitanos (Christ of the Consuelo or Gypsies), the star of Holy Week in Granada.

We should also know that one of the first private university colleges in Europe was founded here in 1610. It is currently used as a residence for priests and a parish church.

In the museum, we find a permanent exhibition with works of great artistic value such as a painting by Goya, a copy of the Medicine of Averroes, the codex of San Juan de la Cruz and an art gallery with works by various renowned authors.

Monastery of San Jerónimo

Finally, to know the convents and monasteries of Granada that you must visit, we could not forget to mention the Monastery of San Jerónimo.

This monastery was the first to be built in Granada after the reconquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs. Initially, it was to be built on the site where the Christian camp had been during the War of Granada (Santa Fe), but it was finally decided to locate it in the centre of the city, and work began in 1503.

Until 1835 it was inhabited by the Hieronymite monks until Mendizábal's amortisation meant that it was used as a barracks. However, in the 1970s it recovered its original function and is now occupied by the community of Hieronymite mothers.

The monastery has two beautifully landscaped cloisters and, in one of them, the Empress Isabella of Portugal lived there after her marriage to Emperor Carlos V. The compass, the refectory, the sala profundis, the chapter rooms and the sacristy also stand out.

The church is notable for the mural paintings that run the length and breadth of the building and the Mannerist altarpiece in the main chapel. This chapel was built with the intention of becoming the family pantheon of the Gran Capitán's family.

Thus, the Monastery of San Jerónimo contains the crypt with the remains of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdova, his wife and several relatives, with more than 700 war trophies. It should also be noted that the monument was occupied by French troops during the Napoleonic invasion.

Why buy the Combined Ticket?

As you have seen throughout this article, there are numerous convents and monasteries in Granada that you should visit. For this reason, it is advisable to get our Combined Ticket, being able to purchase tickets to several monuments at a special price, thanks to the discount we apply.

If you would like to visit the Cartuja Monastery in Granada, the Sacromonte Abbey or the Monastery of San Jeronimo, you can buy your tickets on our official website of the Archdiocese of Granada. 

Let yourself be surprised by the rich heritage of the city of Granada!